Getting to Know You
by CCangel
Summary: Regina and David have a conversation in the middle of the night on board the Jolly Roger. One shot.


Getting to know you

David couldn't sleep at all on the ship. He looked over at Snow who was sleeping and he envied her. How could she sleep on this ship?

He went on deck to get some fresh air. He walked up to the front of the ship to see Regina overlooking the water. He decided to stand by her and watch too. They stayed silent for what seemed like hours.

Regina was aware of his presence but chose not to acknowledge. She figured when she didn't speak, he would go back to his cabin. After minutes of just standing there, she broke the ice.

"Couldn't sleep?" she asked but never facing him. He continued to look out into ocean. "I don't think ships agree with me," he joked. Out of his peripheral vision, he saw her crack half of a smile. "What about you?"

"I couldn't sleep either," she admitted. "Henry is always on my mind. I just want him back." He nodded. "We all do," David said. "Look at us. Henry is the only person that can unite the six of us."

"You're right about that," Regina said. David let out a little laugh. "What's so funny?" Regina asked.

"You're much more tolerable when you aren't trying to kill us," David said laughing. Regina rolled her eyes. "I have different priorities at the moment. Once we get Henry back, killing you will be back on my to do list," she joked.

"I almost believe you but I know you wouldn't do that now," David said. "You aren't that person right now. You are changing."

Silence enveloped once more. It was David's turn to break the ice. "What did I ever do to you? Why did you try to kill me too?"

Regina didn't feel like arguing. That would wake up everybody and they'd all run onto the deck and it would only escalate.

"It wasn't about you. In fact, I could have cared less about you. Snow could have been with anybody and that person would have felt my wrath. You were just someone who got caught in the crossfire."

"You hated Snow that much," David said. "All I ever heard was how you saved her from that horse and how wonderful of a mother you were. She insisted there was still good in you."

"That horse gave me more trouble than I thought," she said with an edge. She sighed. "I met Daniel underneath a tree. He wanted to take me to Firefly Hill for a picnic. But I stupidly said no and I couldn't be late for tea. A lady never misses her tea time. A lesson courtesy of my mother. He got upset about me not telling my parents. I told him that my mother thought one's trajectory should go up."

She stopped for a minute and then continued. "He looked so disappointed. I told him that I knew better and he was the one who said true love was magic. I told Snow that and she got her true love."

Regina turned around and leaned her back against the ship. "I didn't hate Snow at the beginning. I really tried to fight the darkness growing inside me. My father tried to help me but that didn't work. Another great idea I had was to call Gold. All I wanted was to bring him back and we could live our dream. Once I realized that Daniel couldn't come back, my heart died that day. I was no longer the Regina who saved Snow. I bid my time playing the role of wife and mother."

"I don't even know why I'm telling you this," she whispered. "Because there's no one else really out here and who else are you going to tell?"

"Point taken," she replied.

"You weren't happy at all?" David asked. "There were moments where Snow and I bonded. We were friends. We behaved as mother and daughter. But those moments were to few and far between. I pretended to love while suffering. I was never good enough for anybody."

"What about Leopold?" he asked. Regina scoffed. "What about that bastard?"

He was a little taken aback by her attitude. "I thought he was a kind man and king before-

"I had him killed," she finished. "Leopold was a kind and loving man...to Snow. He loved her more than life. I admired that. I feel the same about Henry. But back then, it was about Snow. Her wants, her needs, her well being. It wouldn't have been bad if he should me half or at least an ounce of love. I was a babysitter for his child."

"Surely, he loved you. You were his wife. He choose you," David said.

Regina faced David. "Mother chose him. She wanted me queen and she fulfilled her dream. She made that horse go wild and I feel into a trap. He came the next day and proposed. My mother accepted. Thus began my idea to run away with Daniel."

"But Leopold-

"Was a grieving widower who was very much in love with his first wife. I could never measure up to her. He knew I was unhappy for many years. He didn't release me from my prison. All I ever wanted was to be free."

"Why didn't you try to escape?" he wondered. "Believe me, I tried. I was almost there when my mother caught me. She put up a barrier spell. After a while, I resigned to my fate. It wasn't like I could ask for a divorce. Even if I asked, he wouldn't have granted it. He didn't want to admit that the woman who spent night after night sleeping next to him, didn't love him. Not the way a husband and a wife should love each other. His precious image of a family would be torn to pieces."

"I didn't know the full story," David said. "No one knows dear. I was the evil queen. Before that, I was just some young girl who replaced the beloved Eva. I never had the people's love and trust. That was only reserved for Snow," Regina said.

"Imagine if this was Emma. Imagine if Snow only wanted power. She came from a life of poverty and climbed the social ladder. She learned dark magic to make herself feel like a cut above the rest. Imagine you being married to Snow and you have Emma. Emma doesn't want power, she wants to live normally without magic. However, her mother has different plans. One day she schemes to make her queen unbeknownst to you. Suddenly, Emma saves this girl and the next thing you know, a man old enough to be her grandfather proposes and Snow accepts despite your objections. She is forced to live a life of isolation."

"I would be angry. I can't imagine putting Emma through that. Your father never tried to step in?"

She let out a regretful sigh. "Daddy was just as afraid of her as I was. He tried to stand up for me but he gave up on that. He felt it was better to stay silent because he knew what mother was capable of."

David looked back over the ocean. "I'm sorry. I had no idea about your past to that extinct. Nobody should grow up like that."

"You're right. That's why I tried to raise Henry like my father raised me. I was trying to give him all the love I had. I didn't want him to be afraid of me."

David faced her again. "He knows you love him. He knows we're looking for him." Regina smiled.

David suddenly pulled her into a hug. Regina stiffened, surprised at the sudden contact. She soon relaxed and let him hold her. She let out a sob as he pressed his lips to her head. She muffled her cries into his shoulder as he rubbed her back.

"You'll get the happy ending you deserve one day," he said. "How can you say that?" she asked sniffling. He put some distance between them and moved hair out of her face. He cupped both cheeks with his hands. "There's a part of you that really is good. You got a little lost but we're here to get you back. Regina, there's love out there for everybody. Trust me, it will come."

She wiped the tears from her face. "Optimistic aren't you?"

"It's my middle name," he joked. He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine," she said. She walked past him. She stopped and turned around. "Thank you."

"Anytime," he said. "This will be our secret," he continued. Regina laughed softly. "So the shepherd is keeping secrets from the princess. All that trouble for me," she joked.

"I'm willing to keep this to myself," he replied. "The question is will you?"

Regina tilted her head the side. "Well, that seems like a challenge. I can rise to the occasion as well. Our little secret stays our little secret," she said with a glint in her eyes.

David smirked in spite of himself. This is the Regina everybody should know. "Thank you for letting me in."

Regina genuinely smiled. "It's nice to be listened to." David said, "I understand you more. I guess all that hate for me was unnecessary." She saw the playfulness in his eyes. "You did try to execute me so I guess I can hold that against you," she responded.

"Yeah...sorry about that," he said sheepishly. "Dear, it's in the past. For a moment there, I had another friend."

"And you still do. It just took a while to peel back the layers. It was nice meeting you Regina. I'm glad I got a chance to know you."

Regina let out a little laugh. "It was nice meeting you too David." "I should really go back to my cabin."

He watched her go to her cabin before returning to his own.


End file.
